1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to enhanced reading devices for the visually impaired. In particular, it relates to an enhanced reading device which automatically indexes to the next one or more lines and registers the optical reading device at the beginning of the lines.
2. Background of the Invention
A substantial number of individuals suffer from a variety of vision impairments which impairs their ability to conveniently read. One ailment in particular, macular degeneration, afflicts many individuals as they age. Macular degeneration results in the loss of central vision which directly impacts an individual's ability to read, since the reader must rely on peripheral vision. Typically, an individual with macular degeneration uses a magnifying glass to enlarge the written words to so that they can be more easily perceived. However, magnifying glasses have limitations on their ability to enlarge characters. Likewise, moving a magnifying glass across the written line often results in inadvertently moving to the wrong line when the reader steps from line to line. It would be desirable to have a method of enlarging characters beyond the scope of the conventional magnifying glass, and the method of stepping from line to line without losing one's place in the document.
The prior art has attempted to improve upon magnifying glasses through the use of small handheld television cameras which allow an individual to manually scan the camera across the written line. The output of the camera is input to a television screen which can selectively magnify the characters to any desired size which a particular television monitor is capable of displaying. While the use of handheld television cameras allow an individual to display larger characters, thus making it easier to read, handheld cameras may actually make line registration problems even more difficult. This is because the reader follows the camera on its path back to the beginning of the next line. This motion, when watching the television monitor, can result in dizziness and by high fatigue. It would be desirable to have a method of incrementing to a new line without having to carefully control the line registration while moving the camera.